Cotton-bat former and compressor.



J.L.RALEY. v COTTON BAT FORMER AND COMPRESSOR APPL IOATION FILED DEG. 30,1908. 9 1,10 Patented Jan'.10,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J L. RALEY. COTTON BAT FOBMER'AND COMPRESSOR.

' APPLICATION FILED DEUASO; 1908. 981,108, Patented Jan.10,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS cq., wnsnmmpw, n. c.

NITED srn'rns PAT cr me.

COTTON-BAT FORMER AND COMPRESSOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. RALEY, citizen of the United States, residing at Winsboro, in the county of Wood and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Bat Formers and Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a combined cotton bat former and compressor, and the object of the invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive device of this character embodying novel means for receiving the lint from a cotton gin, formibng the lint into a bat, and compressing the For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cotton bat former and compressor constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the machine. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2', and Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the machine.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 1 designate a pair of sills which constitute the base of the machine and upon which the casing 2 of the compress rests. The upper end of this compress casing is open and the ends of the casing preferably converge upwardly. Journaled within the casing between the opposite sides thereof are the compress rollers 3, one of the rollers being arranged diagonally above the other. These two rollers are provided at one end with the gear wheels 4 which are arranged outside of the casing and mesh with each other so that the two rollers will turn in unison, the opposite end of one of the rollers being provided with a drive wheel 5 by means of which power from any desired source can be imparted to the compress rollers. Arranged within the open top of the compress casing 2 are the inclined guides 6 and 7, the guide 6 projecting partially over the upper compress roller 3 so as to direct the bat between the compress rollers 3.

A swinging bat board 8 which extends across the bottom of the compress casing 2 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 30, 1908.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Serial No. 469,956.

and is hinged to one side thereof is designed to receive the bat from the compress rollers. As shown in the present instance this bat board is formed in sections which are connected by a hinged joint 9 so that the bat board can be folded when the device is not in operation. The sills 1 are connected by the two cross bars 10 and 11 and the cross bar 10 is formed at its upper portion with an opening designed to receive a supporting rod 12 which also extends through a keeper 13 projecting downwardly from the cross bar 11. This supporting rod 12 is designed to engage the bat board for the purpose of holding the same in operative position.

Arranged above the compress device and supported upon the casing or frame 2 thereof, is the casing 14 of the bat former, the bat being deposited from this casing upon the before mentioned inclined guides 6 and 7 which deliver it to the compress rollers 3. A pair of bat forming rollers 15 which are arranged vertically one above the other are journaled between opposite sides of the casing 14 at one side thereof and a lint flue 16 which leads from the cotton gin communicates with the casing opposite the rollers 15. The flue 16 is adapted to conduct cotton from the gin and the casing under the action of a current of air. It will thus be obvious that the lint received from the cotton gin will be acted upon by these rollers and formed into a bat when passing between the same. View openings 17 which are designed to be closed by glass or other transparent material are arranged in opposite sides of the casing 14 so that the attendant can readily see at any time whether or not the machine is working properly. The two bat forming rollers are provided at one end with the intermeshing gear wheels 18 which insure that the rollers will move in unison, and one of the rollers is provided at its opposite end with a drive wheel 19 through the medium of which power can be communicated to the bat forming rollers from any desired source.

Vertical chambers 20 communicate through the slots 2O throughout their entire lengths with the interior of the casing 14 and are formed in connection with the said casing at each end of the bat forming rollers 15. The lower ends of these chambers 20 communicate with a dust chamber 22 which is located under the rollers, that portion of the casing provided with the dust chamber being shown as overhanging the casing 2 of the compress device. The bottom of this dust chamber isclosed by a door 23 which can be swung outwardly when it is desired to clean the chamber.

In the operation of the device the lint from the cotton gin is carried upwardly by an air current through the lint flue 16 and against the rollers 15. As the rollers 15 are disposed in close relation to the end of the chamber 14 the air passes off at the ends of the rollers 15 and deposits the cotton thereagainst. The cotton is here compressed into a bat under the action of the rollers 15, the dust from the cotton dropping'into the chamber 22, as the air passes off into the vertical chambers 20. The bat thus formed by, and passed fromthe rollers 15 drops upon the inclined guides 6 and 7 and is directed to the compress rollers 3 in the easing 2. The compress rollers 3 then engage the bat to'further pack the cotton, when it is discharged upon the bat board 8.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is A cotton bat former and compressor comprising an upper casing having a lint flue communicating with one end thereof, spaced and superimposed bat forming rollers arranged in the casing adjacent to the lint flue, partitions extending inwardly from the upper and lower walls of the casing and terminating in front of the rollers to form a dust compartment within the casing, said casing also having air chambers in the sides thereof communicating with the dust chamber abovethe bottom of the same, a lower casing communicating with and arranged beneath the upper casing and being forwardly oflset therefrom, compression rollers journaled in the lower casing, oppositely inclined guides carried on the lower casing for directing cotton to the compression rollers, and a swinging bat-board adjustably disposed beneath the lower casing.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. RALEY. 

